Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments

Fresh off the most challenging case of her career, The 7th Victim heroine and renowned FBI profiler Karen Vail returns in an explosive thriller set against the backdrop of California’s wine country.

Hoping to find solace from the demons that haunt her, Vail makes her first trip to the Napa Valley. But shortly after arriving, a victim is found in the deepest reaches of an exclusive wine cave, the work of an extraordinarily unpredictable serial killer. From the outset, Vail is frustrated by her inability to profile the offender—until she realizes why: the Behavioral Analysis Unit has not previously encountered a killer like him.

As Vail and the task force work around the clock to identify and locate him, they’re caught in a web knotted with secretive organizations, a decades-long feud between prominent wine families, and widespread corruption that leads Vail to wonder whom, if anyone, she can trust. Meanwhile, as the victim count rises, Vail can't shake the gnawing sense that something isn't right.

With the killer’s actions threatening the Napa Valley’s multi-billion dollar industry, the stakes have never been greater, and the race to find the killer never more urgent.

And through it all, a surprise lurks…one that Karen Vail never sees coming.

Meticulously researched during years of work with the FBI profiling unit and extensive interviews with wine industry professionals, bestselling author Alan Jacobson delivers a high-velocity thriller featuring the kind of edge-of-your-seat ending that inspired Nelson DeMille to call him "a hell of a writer."

Review

"In Jacobson's addictive second Karen Vail thriller (after The 7th Victim), a serial killer spoils the FBI profiler's romantic Napa Valley vacation with boyfriend Det. Robby Hernandez. During a Silver Ridge Estates winery tour, Karen and Robby stumble over the strangled and mutilated corpse of Victoria Cameron, daughter of an influential winemaker. The narcissistic psycho responsible? John Wayne Mayfield (aka the 'Napa Crush Killer'), who taunts the Napa County Major Crimes Task Force formed to catch him. As more victims are found, their windpipes crushed and bodies inflicted with postmortem wounds, the motive behind such a killing spree appears connected to conflicts within the Georges Valley American Viticultural Area board. Jacobson jolts standard serial killer fare with some twists concerning the publicity-hungry Crush Killer and insightful peeks into California's wine industry. The action culminates in a shockeroo cliffhanger. (Sept.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Review

Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The Charlemagne Pursuit

"Action-packed story (with) plenty of bark and bite, sizzle and emotion…a tangled tale of delightful intrigue. Well done."

Steve Martini, New York Times bestselling author of Shadow of Power

“Crisply written, meticulously researched, Crush rocks from the opening page to the jarring conclusion. Don’t start the book unless you have a full evening to finish it, because you won’t be able to put it down.”

Kathy Reichs, New York Times bestselling author of 206 Bones

“Karen Vail is one tough character. Crush will keep you reading late into the night.”

Andrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author of Don’t Look Twice

"Set in the Napa Valley, Crush is a smart, stylish whodunnit with lots of surprises and a finish with all the punch of a blockbuster Cabernet."

Synopsis

Karen Vail, the memorable heroine of The 7th Victim, faces the most evil serial killer of her career.

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About the Author

Alan Jacobson is the national bestselling author of the critically acclaimed thriller, The 7th Victim, which was named to Library Journal's "Best Books of the Year" list for 2008. Alan's years of research with law enforcement, particularly the FBI, influenced him both personally and professionally, and have helped shape the stories he tells and the diverse characters that populate his novels.

Both The 7th Victim and one of Alan's forthcoming thrillers, Hard Target, are currently under development as major feature films with an A-list Hollywood producer.